Mission 7
Recap: While investigating a lead in the Dublin system, Trent enters and wins a race against Dexter Hovis, a racing pilot with a reputation for playing very rough with his competition. Hovis points Trent to the Mining Station Glorious located in the Hood Asteroid Field, where after fighting off Rheinland Valkyries, Trent meets Professor Roland Quintaine of Cambridge, who has been hiding out with pirates on the Glorious. After some initial difficulty convincing the Professor, Trent manages to get the Professor out of Dublin and back to Leeds, despite the interference of several Rheinland fighter wings and Gunboats. The Professor and Sinclair have a somewhat joyous reunion, but the enthusiasm is cut short by the arrival of two Rheinland agents. Our heroes make preparations to flee to the Border Worlds, where a mysterious man named Kress has offered refuge to Quintaine. It should be noted that as there is no "freelancing time" between Mission 6 and Mission 7, and the Pre-Mission News & Rumors listed below are the same as the Post-Mission News and Rumors from Mission 6. They have been included on this page for the sake of completeness. Pre-Mission News EDO ASKS FOR SUPPORT -- Kusari has appealed to the governments of Liberty and Bretonia in their dealings with Rheinland. Shogun Edo says that his principal concern is the welfare of his people still within Rheinland's borders. He said that he is receiving enormous pressure to act militarily, but is still seeking a peaceful resolution. EDO DENIES ALLEGATIONS -- Shogun Edo dismissed the Chancellor's statement that one of Kusari's own medical convoys was being used to transport an explosive device into Rheinland territory. He warned Niemann that he could not allow this "wanton slaughter" to continue and insisted that Rheinland release the Kusari citizens that they were holding hostage. DEVICE FOUND IN CONVOY WRECK -- Rheinland officials have presented evidence in support of their claims that the Kusari medical convoy, recently destroyed by Rheinland ships, was actually on a covert "seek and destroy mission." In their analysis they discovered that a device, based on a fusion-bomb design, had been cleverly modified using Kusari components to be even more thorough in its destructive power. Meanwhile, Kusari officials demanded to inspect this so-called evidence, denouncing it as a feeble attempt by Rheinland to justify its war-like actions. Pre-Mission Rumors "The ghost images that repeatedly show up? Those are cloaked ships, which can only mean one thing. Rheinland. I've heard reports of sightings near the Stokes Smelter, and even threats of hostility. At first they thought it was the Mollys, but I think that Rheinland is about to hit Leeds hard." - Captain Diana Ferguson, Bretonia Police, Planet Leeds "I just tried to get here from Tau-23! Those bastard Rheinlanders are blocking the jump gates, so I had to find a jump hole. Thank God for space anomalies. It seems like those bastards are blocking all the exits. I probably should have stayed in Tau-23 but my family's here." - Constable Arthur Moore, Bretonia Police, Planet Leeds Pre-Mission Tips You won't be Level 13 until after the mission is complete. However, if you purchased the Kusari J7P-7Q Drake Light Fighter before the mission, you can mount any Class 6 weapons you have salvaged. Again, the best weapons to mount (for pure DPS) are the Outcasts' or Xenos particle cannon. Remember, however, that the Drake is a light fighter, and cannot mount a Torpedo launcher. It also only has four gun ports and no turret port, limiting the amount of firepower available. Considering that there will be a Battleship encounter, you may want the additional firepower of the torpedoes and additional gun ports of a heavy fighter: however, to get one before the beginning of Mission 7, you have to purchase one before you go racing during Mission 6! It is strongly recommended that you stock up on Shield Batteries and Nanobots before starting this and all future missions: they start to get pretty tough after this! MISSION 7: LEEDS SYSTEM *Objective: Meet Juni, Quintaine and Sinclair in space above Planet Leeds. Fly into the Border Worlds to find the base of the mysterious Kress. In-Flight Dialogue *Juni: There you are! Trent, do you think Tobias will be alright? Maybe he should come with us. *Trent: Tobias is better off far away from us. As long as we have the artifact, none of us will be safe. We'll be lucky to get out of here in once piece. *Juni: We should take the trade lane to Stokes, and from there we'll jump to the Tau 31 system. *Quintaine: We don't have any time to waste: let's go! At this point, our heroes ignite their cruise engines and head for the trade lane, but are blocked at the lane entrance by two decloaking Rheinland 90-ARKM-N9 Valkyrie Heavy Fighters. *Juni: Dammit! *Rheinlander: We TOLD you we wouldn't be far! Give up the artifact: all exits out of this system are blocked - you cannot get out! *Juni: We'll see about that! *Rheinlander: As you wish... Our heroes engage the Rheinlanders. After one is destroyed, the other one cloaks. *Rheinlander: We'll meet again! You'll never make it out of Bretonia alive... *Sinclair: Dammit, he cloaked! We need to get out of here. *Juni: Take the trade lane. Trent, you go first, I'll cover the rear. *Quintaine: I cannot believe they continue to attack us in the middle of Bretonia territory! *Juni: Where have you been, Professor? The Colonies are at the brink of war! Rheinland ships have been sighted in just about every system. *Sinclair: That Rheinlander said that all exits out of Leeds are blocked. What do we do? *Juni: We fight. We're coming up on Stokes: stay sharp! Upon arriving at Stokes, all is quiet. As the crew approaches the Trade Lane to the Jump Gate, four Rheinland 90-ARKM-N9 Valkyrie Heavy Fighters decloak, blocking the lane. *Rheinlander: I told you we'd meet again... For the last time, surrender the artifact! *Juni: Come and TAKE it! We've got incoming; Trent, keep them away from Sinclair and Quintaine! *Stokes: This is Stokes Smelter! We are under attack by Rheinland warships and need assistance! *Juni: Got one! *Stokes: Repeat, this is Stokes Smelter! We are under attack and need assistance! *Juni: Two down! *Quintaine: The other two just cloaked! *Stokes: Unknown ships, large numbers of Rheinland ships have been detected in the system. We recommend you land and wait out the crisis! *Juni: Negative, Stokes! We have to get out of Leeds! Trent, take the trade lane. *Sinclair: Let's hope the jump gate is clear. It's the only way out of Leeds. *Juni: Trent, Sinclair and Quintaine need enough time to get through the gate. No matter what awaits us there, we have to buy them as much time as we can, and then jump to Tau 31. Get ready! As our heroes come out of the trade lane, six Rheinland 90-ARKM-N9 Valkyrie Heavy Fighters and the Rheinland Cruiser RNC Saarbrucken are waiting for them. *Quintaine: Oh my God! A Rheinlander Cruiser is blocking the gate! We don't stand a chance! *Rheinlander: This is the end. You have no where else to run. Give up: NOW! You fools, you will be destroyed! *Juni: Trent, engage the cruiser; try to knock out their turrets! At this point, the player has to take down the Rheinland Cruiser. The safest place to do this from is directly behind the cruiser, almost standing in its engine exhaust. There aren't many turrets that get a clean shot to this blind spot; therefore, if you're lucky, you can torch the cruiser with ease. You may need to burn some shield batteries, but that's a battleship kill: well worth it! *Glasgow Outpost: This is Glasgow Outpost to all Bretonian ships; we are under attack, repeat, we are under attack! *Quintaine: I'm taking heavy damage! My ship won't be able to take much more! At this point, Tobias shows up with two friends, Roger Clousing and Ray Horner. *Tobias: Open fire, chaps! We have to take out that cruiser! *Juni: Tobias! *Tobias: Trent, a fleet of Rheinland ships is only minutes behind us. We have little time. Destroy the fighters, and let's get out of here! *Glasgow Outpost: This is Glasgow: radar is clear! No more enemy contacts. You came just in time. *Tobias: Glasgow, we need to get these people out of here. The jump gate needs to be locked after we jump through! *Glasgow: Affirmative! Good luck to you. *Tobias: The Bretonian military has been alerted. They will be here soon. Good luck, Glasgow! Go, Trent: activate the jump gate! I'll see you on the other side... MISSION 7: TAU 31 SYSTEM *Objective: Awaiting objective. **Log Entry: Those bastards! They were right on my front door this time! I'm getting tired of this cat and mouse game. Why does everyone want this stupid rock so bad? And how did they get that deep into Bretonia? No matter where we go, there they are. It's funny. I always thought that all of Tobias' boasting about his days in the Royal Space Force was just that -- boasting, but I'm sure glad he showed up. I owe him a lot, actually. One of these days I'm coming back here and repaying him for everything he's done for me. In-Flight Dialogue *Quintaine: You have our gratitude, Mr. Tobias. *Tobias: When I heard about the incident at Stokes, I knew you were in trouble. I called a few old friends from my flying days, and we came as quickly as possible. *Sinclair: Thank you... *Tobias: Bah, enough already! We have to get out of here. *Juni: Trent, take point. We'll follow you. *Tobias: We're heading toward the IMG base Holman. It's the only base in this entire system. Where were you planning to go? *Quintaine: The night I met Kress, he told me that if I wanted to find him, I should talk to the bartender on Shinkaku. Is that a planet? *Tobias: That's a Samura station... it was built right next to the large methane field in Tau-29. A bit remote, but not too far from here. We're coming up on Holman. Keep your eyes open! If there are Rheinlanders, we won't have the element of surprise this time! *Juni: Radar is clear. Looks like we managed to shake them. *Tobias: The next trade lane takes us to the Tau-29 gate. From there, it's just a short flight to Shinkaku. *Juni: It's strange that there are no ships around here... Outpost Holman, please come in! Something is very wrong here... *Tobias: It's a trap! We only have one chance! Quick, let's get out of here! *Clousing: Tobias, we'll hold them off! Get these people to safety: run! *Tobias: Thank you, my friend. At this point, the Rheinland Battleship Goethe, two Rheinland Gunboats and five Rheinland 90-ARKM-N9 Valkyrie Heavy Fighters decloak ahead of our heroes, blocking the trade lane. Our heroes divert and fly towards the Tau-23 gate instead, following the incomplete trade lane. It should be noted that it is possible to destroy the Goethe at this point. While the rest of the group flees towards the unfinished Tau-23 trade lane ring, Trent can fly to the Goethe and destroy it. Tobias will say, "Why are we going so slow? Trent, divert more power to the engines!" a couple of times, but if your weapons are strong enough you should be able to blow away the Goethe by yourself without too much trouble. Fly your ship directly in front of the Goethe and park yourself right up against it, under their bridge: none of their turrets will be able to track you, and you should be able to dump firepower into the battleship with impunity. That's two battleship kills! *Tobias: The lane should be useable from here on! Everyone into the trade lane, quick! *Juni: What's our plan? *Tobias: Hmmm... the Tau-23 gate is not functional yet. Our best option is Planet Harris, but it's pretty far from here. *Quintaine: Not functional? You mean this is a dead end? At this point, the trade lane is disrupted by two Rheinland Gunboats. *Juni: They've disrupted the trade lane! *Sinclair: There! More Rheinland Gunships! *Tobias: We can't make it to Planet Harris from here. But there is an intermittent jump hole nearby! It might not work, but it's our only option. I'm uploading the coordinates. We need to buy them some time! Trent: you and I will stay here and fight the gunships. Everybody else, get to that jump hole, and wait for us there! *Quintaine: Understood - good luck! *Tobias: Alright, Trent: it's you and I against two gunships! Let's see how much you learned since you left Leeds... Target their engines: that's their weakest spot! *Tobias: HAHAHA! We're not such easy prey after all, eh?! Trent, that's enough, the others should be a the jump hole. After destroying the Gunboats, Trent and Tobias fly to the jump hole to Tau-29. *Tobias: They're not following us. Hopefully the jump hole will be phase-aligned; if not, we're in big trouble! You did well back there, my boy! I'm proud of you! *Juni: There you are! We were about to turn around and look for you. Are you being followed? *Tobias: No. We have to leave this system. What's the status of the jump hole? *Juni: I've taken some readings. Seems to be phase-aligned. We should be able to use it. *Tobias: Good! What are we waiting for? Trent, you go first. I will make sure no Rheinlanders are following us. MISSION 7: TAU-29 SYSTEM *Objective: Fly to Shinkaku Station. **Log Entry: Damn Rheinlanders are persistent! How are they blocking us at every direction? In any case, we've managed to get out of this mess, and we're one step closer to... to... Where are we going anyways? Shinden, Shinagawa, Shinkaku! That's it! We're supposed to meet some guy named Kress. I hope whoever he is, he can get Quintaine and Sinclair out of my hair. Dealing with Juni is about all I can take as it is. In-Flight Dialogue *Tobias: Hmmm, there's no sign of them, but I'm sure they'll be back. We need to keep moving. *Juni: We're near Shinkaku Station, Trent. I've uploaded the coordinates. Take the lead! *Quintaine: Once again, we're in your debt, Mr. Tobias. *Tobias: If Rheinland keeps openly attacking targets in Bretonia, it could easily lead to a full-scale war. *Sinclair: I don't understand: do you think all of this is happening because of the artifact? *Quintaine: It could be. We need to find a safe haven and perform a thorough analysis of the object. *Juni: Hard to believe that it all hinges on a message to some bartender. I hope this Kress wasn't playing games. Or setting a trap... *Tobias: We're almost at Shinkaku. *Quintaine: I will land and talk to the bartender. *Juni: We should all land to make repairs and rearm ourselves. Trent, you go first. At this point you will land on Shinkaku Station, and will have an opportunity to purchase ammo, shield batteries, nanobots, and other stuff. Since you won't be Level 16 until well after you complete Mission 7, you can't yet pick up a Class 6 Graviton Shield or any Class 6 weapons. However, if you're using the Starkiller Torpedo Launcher in your battleship slaying, you will definitely want to reload your ammo after taking down two battleships! If you've tractored in a full hold of H-Fuel from the fights with the Rheinlanders, you should sell it at Shinkaku. It sells for less at Cali Base, your next stop, so there's no point in saving it. This will leave you with an empty hold to fill up with more goodies after your next fight with the Rheinlanders! Again, H-Fuel will be the choice commodity to salvage and sell. Mid-Mission News RHEINLAND MILITARY BUILD-UP -- In breaking news, large numbers of military ships have been reported on the move in Rheinland and have taken up position along the remainder of their borders. The Queen has taken issue with this action and is being kept apprised of things as they unfold. Despite the atmosphere of apprehension, commercial and civilian traffic on our side of the Gates continues. TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR BRETONIANS -- Eyewitnesses in the Border Worlds say that Rheinland forces have intensified their presence and activities there, largely targeting the pirate population. In light of recent events, the Foreign Office has issued an advisory to all Bretonian subjects to use extreme caution when traveling outside of our systems. JACOBI WARNS RHEINLAND -- In response to the arrival of more heavy-class Rheinland ships at Liberty's border, President Jacobi has called for the Chancellor to immediately pull his forces back. Jacobi has also deployed her own defensive units and has warned the Chancellor not to enter Liberty space. MARKET FALTERS AMID UNCERTAINTY -- Merchants at home and abroad are beginning to feel the economic hardships of our current political situation. With rising domestic strife and increased foreign threats, spending and trade have decreased in many areas, leaving us in something of a slump. Royal analysts say they are studying the problem and plan to offer a list of recommendations by week's end. JACOBI PROPOSES MEETING -- In a formal address, President Jacobi said that matters with Rheinland had progressed to a level that she felt required more direct methods. She asked for representatives from Kusari and Bretonia to meet with her on Manhattan to discuss an initiative that she believes will defuse the situation with Rheinland while also allowing for the safe return of Kusari citizens. Mid-Mission Rumors "Ah, yes -- Kress. He left a message for you in this data pad. It's encrypted, but he said Quintaine would know the password. Nice guy, but he had some really creepy bodyguards with him. Hope that helps." - Shinkaku Bartender Kazan Otaka "There was a huge battle over Leeds! I can't believe it! The Rheinlanders have already managed to penetrate that deep into Bretonia. Just when things looked really bad, this guy showed up, Tobias I think his name was. Took out an entire battleship by himself and managed to keep the Rheinlanders at bay until the Bretonia Royal Space Force could show up. Leeds still took one hell of a beating though." - Buntaro Hino, Samura Heavy Industries, Shinkaku Station "It's horrible. The Holman Outpost was decimated by the Rheinland Navy! I just can't believe it. They were defenseless and Rheinland just shrugged them off like flies. Those bastards will pay for this!" - Samura Sales Rep Tadashiro Aida, Shinkaku Station "I heard a couple of friends of mine ran into this huge ghost image on their radars. It stands to support the other things people have been hearing, about a Rheinland Fleet somewhere in Tau-29. I'd be careful wandering around out there." - Shozen Isayama, Samura Heavy Industries, Shinkaku Station MISSION 7: TAU-29 SYSTEM *Objective: Meet Quintaine in space outside of Shinkaku Station. In-Flight Dialogue *Objective: Fly to the waypoint coordinates. **Log Entry: I was hoping Kress was there to take this old fart away! Oh well, it's not too far from here -- small price to pay to keep from embedding my foot in his head. Tobias is going back home. I hope he doesn't do some damn fool thing like re-enlist. Well, at least I won't have too much to worry about. He'll probably do something like hit on a higher ranked female officer. I get the impression there weren't any female pilots in his days. Heh, that's Tobias though. Hope he's gonna be alright. Well, off to Kress' base. *Juni: Guess what? They're actually was a message for Quintaine. *Quintaine: Apparently the Kress base is not far. It's in a secret location on the far side of this system. The bartender gave me a set of coordinates. I'm uploading them now. *Tobias: My friends, I will take my leave from you now. If there is indeed a war coming between Rheinland and Bretonia, I am needed at home. *Juni: I understand. Thank you for everything, Tobias. *Tobias: We will meet again, I promise. Trent, get these people to safety! And find out what this artifact of yours is all about. Good luck to all of you! *Juni: Alright everybody, let's get moving. *Quintaine: We have to be careful. The bartender warned me that Rheinland ships have been sighted in the area. He suggested that we fly through the methane field: it should mask our engine signatures. *Sinclair: What did the bartender say about Kress? *Quintaine: Not much! He told me that Kress frequently operates in this area, and then he gave me these coordinates, that's all. Unfortunately, the field will only provide us with cover for half of the way. After that, we'll have to fly through open space. We're at the edge of the field. From now on, we're without cover. *Sinclair: So far, radar is clear. *Quintaine: Oh... my... GOD... *Juni: Looks like the whole damned Rheinland fleet! *Battleship Schiller: This is the Rheinland Battleship Schiller! Cut your engines and deactivate your weapons systems. Prepare to be boarded! *Juni: We can't win this! Trent? *Trent: I'm picking up new contacts coming in very fast. *Razor One: Professor Quintaine! Colonel Kress sent us to help you! *Quintaine: Kress?! How did you know? *Razor One: No time to explain - we're uploading coordinates! Professor, you and the freighter have to fly there as quickly as you can! We'll try to hold off the Rheinland fleet! *Battleship Schiller: To all ships - we have unidentified targets on an intercept course! All fighter wings, break and attack! *Rheinland Valkyrie Wing Commander: Moving to intercept! *Razor One: This is Razor Leader! Concentrate your fire on the heavy cruiser! *Razor Two: Roger that! *Battleship Schiller: Red alert! The Schiller is hit! Man all turrets! All other fighters, engage enemy ships! INCOMING!!! *Razor One: We're locked on! Quintaine escorts, we could use your help! Engage the Rheinland ships! We have to buy the Professor time to get away! At this point, the player takes on the Rheinland Battleship RNC Schiller, the Rheinland Cruisers RNC Nestor, Rheingau, and Bechthol, the Rheinland Gunboats RNC Bhietigheim and Burgha, as well as six Rheinland 90-ARKM-N9 Valkyrie Heavy Fighters. It's worth noting that after Razor Wing's torpedo run, the Battleship is at about half strength. On the players side are three of Kress' Men: Razor One, Razor Two (Linda Carli) and Razor Three (random name) in Border Series X Dagger Light Fighters armed with Dragoon Type 2 (Class 5 tachyon cannon) and Windstalker Missiles. Juni also sticks around in her souped-up Defender armed with Vengeance Mk II (Class 5 lasers) and Magma Hammer Mk I (Class 4 plasma). It's worth noting that the player can score several battleship kills in this part of the mission. To maximize your battleship kill score, focus on the cruisers first: they die quicker. H-Fuel is a decent commodity to salvage in this fight for Cali Base at $180, but better still would be Pharmaceuticals, which sell at $400 a pop. Best of all would be some Silver, which sells for $870 on Planet New Tokyo: not bad! *Battleship Schiller: All hands to emergency stations! *Razor One: Bullseye! Hit 'em fast and hit 'em hard! *Razor Two: Razor Two, engaging! *Razor Three, we're going in! After defeating the Rheinlanders, Quintaine comes back on the radio. *Quintaine: This is Quintaine! We made it! We're at the coordinates! *Razor Leader: Excellent! All fighters, disengage and return home! *Juni: I thought it was over! How did you find us? *Razor One: The bartender on Shinkaku contacted us. Kress immediately sent us to find you. Rheinland ships have been spotted in this system for several days now. When we heard that Quintaine was on Shinkaku, we knew we'd likely run into trouble. *Quintaine: We were getting worried. *Razor One: We should be safe now, but we need to keep moving. The jump hole to Tau-23 is near. *Juni: Trent, I've uploaded the coordinates; let's go! Be careful in the methane field: certain pockets are explosive and could damage our ships. *Quintaine: Are you taking us to Kress? *Razor One: Yes. Colonel Kress is currently a guest of the Outcasts. He'll be pleased to see you, Professor. There's the jump hole! MISSION 7: TAU-23 SYSTEM *Objective: Fly to Kress' base. **Log Entry: First we have to go through this giant methane field into a giant open area of space where -- surprise, surprise -- a Rheinland fleet awaits us. This is NOT what I signed up for. Protecting the old windbag is hard enough; having to take on an entire fleet is not my idea of fun. It's more like suicide. Kress' men showed up, but they didn't really help much. What good are scrub fighters against capital ships? Well, at least we got out of there alive. Maybe now I can finally dump this guy. ME-thane?! Who pronounces it like that?! It's METH-ane! If this is the best scientific mind the universe has to offer, we're all in a lot of trouble. In-Flight Dialogue *Razor One: It's not far from here to the base. I'm uploading the coordinates. *Juni: Where are we? *Razor One: We're in Tau-23. Not too many people know about this system. It's fully within the Barrier. Both BMM and IMG are maintaining bases here, since rich deposits of Beryllium and Niobium have been found. *Cali Base: Approaching ships, identify yourselves. *Razor One: This is Razor One. We're bringing a visitor to Colonel Kress. We're expected. *Cali Base: Razor One, your party is clear to land. *Razor One: Professor, land on the base. Kress is awaiting your arrival. CUTSCENE DIALOGUE *Trent: Juni, maybe you and Sinclair should stay with the ships... *Quintaine: Quiet! We just need to find Kress. *Kress' Bodyguard: State your business. *Quintaine: My name is Quintaine. I'm here to see Kress. *Kress' Bodyguard: Colonel Kress sees no one. *Quintaine: He'll see me. *Kress' Bodyguard: He sees NO ONE! *Trent: Don't go and do that. Now that I've got your attention, take us to see the Colonel. *Kress' Bodyguard: I think my friend you misunderstand your position. I'm expendable. *Kress: Doctor Quintaine! *Quintaine: Kress! *Kress: I'm pleased to see that you're alright after all! And you brought protection! Very wise... please tell him to stand down? *Quintaine: Mr. Trent... *Kress: Come, we have much to talk about. The group follows Kress. Trent pauses and exchanges a momentary glance with the bodyguard he'd held at gunpoint, then follows as well. The scene cuts to the bar, where Juni and Trent each take a seat at a table, while Kress stands and addresses Quintaine and Sinclair. *Kress: Let me offer you the sanctuary of my base *Quintaine: Thank you. We'll need a place to continue our research. *Kress: We have facilities at your disposal, of course. *Kress: You see, we've had our eye on Doctor Quintaine and his research for quite some time. When Doctor Sinclair made her discovery, it caused quite a stir amongst our enemies. *Trent: What enemies? The Rheinlanders? *Kress: Let's just say that your enemies are our enemies. *Trent: Give me a straight answer: who do you work for, Colonel? *Kress: The Order. *Trent: You work for Orillion? *Kress: Despite what you may have heard, we are only interested in freedom and peace. *Juni: If that's so, then why all of the attacks? *Kress: I understand your suspicion, but we are not guilty of nearly as much as your media would suggest. For now, please accept my hospitality in the spirit in which it is offered. Tell me: what else do you require of me? *Quintaine: But if I'm right, there's something we've overlooked. We need the Proteus Tome. *Trent: What's that? *Sinclair: It's a piece of parchment that rests in the Natural History Museum in Kusari. *Quintaine: I think it holds the answer to the artifact. It's kept in a sealed titanium cylinder in the archives. *Kress: Very well, that shouldn't be difficult. We have an agent in Kusari who may be useful for this. Lord Hakkera, he's a local potentate. He can arrange for its... liberation. *Trent: No dice, Kress. I'm going myself. *Kress: You don't really trust me, do you, Mr. Trent? *Trent: No. But if as you say, "your enemies are our enemies", you won't deny me this. *Juni: Or me! If you're going, I'm going. At this point, the player is free to reload and rearm on Cali Base. Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to purchase Outcasts weapons unless you've been grinding for rep. Definitely reload your shield batteries and nanobots and buy any ammo you need. If you managed to get any more H-Fuel in your fight with the Rheinlanders, you can sell it here for $180 a unit. Cardamine Smuggling Opportunity Even if you're lawful and the Outcasts normally hate your goody-two-shoes guts, you're allowed to land on Cali Base, and that means you can purchase Cardamine at a cost of $390 per unit. The best place to sell it immediately after Mission 7 is on Roppongi Station in the New Tokyo system for $810 per unit, a profit margin of $420 - not bad! Mid-Mission Rumor "I hear that Rheinland has managed to spread its forces to the borders of every major house. The military build up is accelerated but we don't know how. They must have converted all their mining facilities to strip Rheinland of all its resources. Even if they win, they lose." - Cali Bartender Alberto Ferrer MISSION 7: TAU-23 SYSTEM *Objective: Meet up with Kress' agent, Lord Hakkera to arrange for the retrieval of the Proteus Tome. *Objective: Meet Razor One in space outside of Cali Base. **Log Entry: If anyone gets to shoot Quintaine, it's gonna be me, not some damned lackey. I've already been shot at, electrocuted, and nearly bombed to death. A good ol' stand off isn't gonna shake me. Well, at least Quintaine is outta my hair. At least Sinclair was easy on the eyes. Well, on to Kyushu to meet a Lord Hakkera. I've actually never been to Kusari before. I'm very curious to see what it's like. In-Flight Dialogue *Razor One: Colonel Kress asked me to escort you out of this system. What's your destination? *Juni: We need to get to Kusari space. *Razor One: You're lucky! There's a jump hole nearby that will get you there in no time. *Quintaine: This is Quintaine! Kress managed to contact his agent, Lord Hakkera. He's waiting for you on Planet Kyushu. Please contact me when you have the Proteus Tome, in the meantime, Sinclair and I will continue to study the artifact. Good luck. *Juni: We'll talk to you soon, Professor. *Razor One: This is where we part ways. This jump hole leads directly to Kyushu. Best of luck to you! *Juni: Thank you. Alright Trent, go ahead. MISSION 7: KYUSHU SYSTEM *Objective: Fly to Planet Kyushu. In-Flight Dialogue *Juni: We're in the Okha Dust Field. We'll head to Planet Aso and take the trade lane from there to Kyushu. *Juni: It's funny. I used to fly around in this asteroid field when I was younger. My grandmother lives on Tsushima Station above Aso. I haven't been back here in over a decade... *Juni: We're almost there. Take the trade lane to Kyushu. *Juni: Trent, land and I'll follow you in. Lord Hakkera will be waiting for us in the bar. Dialogue *Hakkera: Mr. Trent? Ms. Zane? I was told you would be coming. I'm Lord Hakkera: I'm the Prefect of Honshu. ...Is there a problem? *Trent: Sorry, you're just not what I expected. *Hakkera: You expected a terrorist, then. I serve the Order to help my people, Mr. Trent. I understand that you are here for the Proteus Tome. Unfortunately, that will not be easy. The Artifacts in the museum have come under renewed scrutiny. I will need to secure special permission for us to be allowed access. *Pilot: Lord Hakkera... *Hakkera: Please excuse me. I've recently lost contact with one of my operatives in Rheinland. This may be news. I will be in touch once I get access to the Proteus Tome. *Trent: That's IT? What are we supposed to do now? Wait??? *Juni: Like hell we will! I have contacts here, too, but to get to them we're gonna have to split up for a while. *Trent: What am I supposed to do around here when you're gone? *Juni: Hey, you should try to fit in a little, maybe get some work. By the sound of things, this might take a while. Don't worry, I won't be far. Post-Mission Log Entry So that was Lord Hakkera. There's an air about that man. I don't know -- he's very... commanding. Anyways, Juni seems to know him, not that that's saved us in the past. Hopefully her home system will provide better protection than Bretonia. I guess I'll do some sight seeing and take up a few jobs while I'm here. It's not often I get to be a tourist. Post-Mission News KUSARI CITIZENS STILL HELD HOSTAGE -- There is still no news of the fate of thousands of Kusari citizens being held captive by the Rheinland government. Though the Shogun has been successful in persuading Liberty and Bretonia to apply additional economic and political pressure on the Chancellor, the Shogun is also considering more direct military action. SOME CITIZENS MOVED TO BREMEN -- We have just received word that many lawful Kusari citizens, wrongfully accused of espionage, have been rounded up and sent to a makeshift detention facility in Bremen. Officials are looking into this disturbing report. TEKAGI MEETS WITH SHOGUN EDO -- Governor Tekagi briefly met with Shogun Edo to discuss the Rheinland conflict and Liberty's proposed meeting. After the short, private discussion, the Governor said that he has been ordered to Liberty to "organize the release of our people through our allies." Tekagi will leave at once to meet with President Jacobi. LIBERTY TO RECEIVE TEKAGI -- Amid assurances of heightened security, President Jacobi prepares to receive our Governor Tekagi in the Presidential residence at an undisclosed time. Tensions remain high around Kusari, but the Governor says he is cautiously optimistic, particularly because Queen Carina of Bretonia will also be in attendance. TEKAGI ARRIVES IN LIBERTY -- Governor Tekagi arrived in Manhattan today under well-armed escort. There he met with President Jacobi and Queen Carina of Bretonia, in the hopes of establishing a joint resolution aimed at pressuring Rheinland to release its hostages and negotiate a peaceful settlement. INCREASED TENSION IN KUSARI -- Patrols have been increased around the Rheinland border in answer to the Chancellor's recent actions. However, several civilian ships have reported unusual conditions around the area, including "radar ghosting" and other false readings. Some have speculated that Rheinland is attempting to jam early warning systems, but local officials dismiss these reports as the result of instrument malfunctions. BAN ON ARTIFACTS TO SPREAD? -- Today Liberty unveiled what some have seen as an ulterior motive to negotiations on Manhattan: a potential ban on Artifacts throughout the colonies. Local Artifact dealers reacted negatively, particularly when learning that this ban would be administered by a separate, though still Liberty-run, agency. AMENDED ARTIFACT BAN SIGNED -- Governor Tekagi left Manhattan, but not before endorsing an amended version of the controversial, joint ban on Artifact trading proposed by Liberty. After spending several hours in a secure-link conference with the Shogun, the two agreed to the ban in concept, but only as a temporary measure, and specifically as a means to better lawfully regulate the trade coming out of the Rheinland Border Worlds. CARINA SIGNS ARTIFACT BAN -- On the heels of Governor Tekagi's departure, Bretonia formalized its agreement with Liberty and Kusari by also signing the Artifact ban. It is hoped that this initiative will continue to put pressure on Rheinland and put much needed government credits into the pockets of local merchants. NEIMANN REQUESTS TEKAGI -- Governor Tekagi's mission to Liberty has reportedly gone well, yielding a series of directives for Rheinland. Interestingly though, once these directives were transmitted, word came back that the Chancellor would not accept them unless they were personally hand delivered by the Governor. Despite being advised otherwise, Governor Tekagi has agreed to do so. ARTIFACT BAN LIMITS LIBERTY -- As we learn more about the recent Artifact ban, we understand that this agreement also now limits Liberty's access to the temporarily impounded Artifacts and now allows for the individual House to retain them within their own borders. This was good news to many merchants, as was the generous government subsidy. Meanwhile, Governor Tekagi heads back to Kusari briefly and then on to New Berlin. SPECULATION ON ARTIFACT BAN -- Authorities say that the President wants to extend the Liberty Artifact ban to the other colonies to better control the black market. Meanwhile, it appears that the Artifact market has shown signs of slowing slightly, thanks in part to Liberty's resolutions and political lobbying. Sources inside Liberty say that shipment after shipment of confiscated Artifacts appear to be going into Zone 21 under military watch. SEARCH FOR KUSARI TRANSPORT -- The arrival of a special transport and her escorts from the Border Worlds is reportedly long overdue. Several patrols have been dispatched along the intended route, and though hopes of a rescue are high, there has been no discovery of the wreckage. The disappearance of the single vessel, carrying a cargo of new Artifacts bound for a museum in Kusari, is ironic since it falls on the cusp of the signing of the colony-wide Artifact ban. New Ships Available At this point, the character advances to Level 13, and is now eligible to purchase new ships. It's worth noting that the Hawk and Barracuda are sold on Planet Kyushu itself; you'll have to fly to a Kusari Battleship if you'd rather have the Dragon. While the Dragon and Barracuda are matched for price and firepower, the Barracuda wins out on maneuverability and cargo hold size. It's probably best to avoid the Wolfhound: it has the same turn rate and cargo hold size as the Dragon, but it trades forward firepower for a rear-firing turret which you probably won't even use. You'd probably be best off either sticking with a Kusari J7P-7Q Drake Light Fighter for its supreme maneuverability and small target profile, or trading maneuverability for the heavier Barracuda's additional firepower and cargo space. *Civilian CTE-1500 Hawk Light Fighter - 70,620 *Pirate Z-3005 Wolfhound Heavy Fighter - $71,210 *Kusari J10-15P Dragon Heavy Fighter - $71,210 *Bounty Hunter AP-7031 Barracuda Heavy Fighter - $71,210 Grinding For Class 6 Weapons Remember: since you won't be able to purchase Class 6 Weapons until you reach Level 16, the only way to acquire Class 6 Weapons at this point is to salvage them from kills or wrecks. The Class 6 Weapons with the highest DPS are the Particle Cannon used by the Outcasts and the Xenos, respectively. If you're looking to grind for these weapons, you might want to choose to hunt the Xenos over the Outcasts for reputation purposes: frying Xenos is a great way to make friends and immolate people (except for Zoners, who seem to like them for some reason). The best location to grind Xenos for Class 5 Tarantula and Class 6 Adv. Tarantula particle cannon is near Barrow Base in the Hudson system. If you're at least neutral with the Liberty Rogues and Unioners , you can park on Dawson Base to repair combat damage, sell cargoes, and purchase ammo. The best commodity to sell at Dawson is Light Arms at $770 per unit, followed shortly by Diamonds at $704. Considering that Xenos love to ship Light Arms, you can make a killing selling Xenos guns to the Rogues. If you're camping Barrow Base to jump cargoes, watch for ships that launch with a pilot screaming, "This is too much, I need to break it off, the enemy is too tough right now!" or something similar. If your weapons are strong enough and you've fought off the local fighter screen, and you can sit right in front of the launch bay where the ship launches from, you can destroy the ship as it's launching, before it even has its shields up. Next Up: Mission 8! Trent joins with Lieutenant Ozu and the Blood Dragons to attack a Kusari convoy and liberate the Proteus Tome! Category:Missions